The present disclosure relates to a light emitting diode (LED) driving apparatus and lighting device including the same.
LEDs are semiconductor light emitting devices having advantages of low power consumption, long lifespan, and implementation of light in various colors, compared with existing light sources such as fluorescent or incandescent lamps. With such advantages, LEDs have been extended to apply to various lighting devices, backlight units of display devices, and headlamps of vehicles. In general, an LED is operated by a constant current, and thus, an LED driving apparatus includes a rectifying circuit for converting alternating current (AC) power into direct current (DC) power and a converter circuit generating constant power from an output of the rectifying circuit.
Recently, an LED driving apparatus able to operate an LED without using a converter circuit has been proposed to lower manufacturing costs and increase reliability by reducing the amount of circuit components. The LED driving apparatus without a converter circuit may include a controller IC having a plurality of switches and a plurality of LED arrays controlled in lighting by the controller IC. The LED driving apparatus without a converter circuit is advantageous in terms of high reliability and low manufacturing costs, but a flickering phenomenon can be caused due to a duration in which all the LED arrays do not emit light.